Henry lyon



N0. 6|0,406. Patented Sept. 6, I898. H. LYON;

RESISTANCE AND CONTACT APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIC CURRENTS.

(Application filed July 6, 1898.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES! NVENTOR fimw 'a HENRY LYON W/ BY $4M H I S HTTORNEYS- UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY LYON, OF GLASGOTV, SCOTLAND, ASSIGLTOR OF ONEIIALF TO THE D.STETVART & COMPANY, LIMITED, OF SAME PLACE.

RESISTANCE AND CONTACT APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIC CURRENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 610,406, datedseptember 6, 1898. Application filed July 6,1898. Serial No. 685,279.(No modeLl To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY LYON, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritainand Ireland, and a resident of Glasgow, in the county of Lanark,Scotland, have invented certain Improvements in Resistance and ContactApparatus for Electric Currents, (for which I have applied for BritishPatent No. 28,859, dated December 7, 1897,) of which the following is aspecification.

My said invention comprises new and im proved arrangements of resistanceand contact apparatus for electric currents which may be combined withvarious combinations of switch or plug apparatus for conjointlycontrolling a number of different conductors or leads. The arrangementforms compact and easily-manipulated apparatus for various purposes-as,for example, forcontrolling colored and uncolored lights for sceniceffects in a theater.-

My improved arrangements are shown on an accompanying sheet of drawings,Figure 1 being a plan, Fig. 2 a transverse vertical section, and Fig. 3a longitudinal vertical section.

As shown in the drawings, there is a double row of jars A, ofearthenware or other suitable material, arranged in pairs opposite eachother. In the bottom of each jar A there is a conical metal cup B,connected through the bottom with an external metal conductor 0, whichis connected to the conductor of the main electric supply. In each jarAthere is a metal cone D, which is suspended by a nonconducting cord E,passing around an overhead pulley F on a shaft G and down to the cone Dof the opposite jar A. Each pulley F has a tubular center H, which isformed with a projection J. This projection J has screwed into it ahandle K, the end of which can be made to bear on the shaft G, so as tofix the pulley F in any desired position on the shaft. The shaft Gr maybe turned by means of a worm and worm-wheel L or other gearing formoving the cones D of all the jars A simultaneously, while on unscrewingthe handle K for any pulleyF that pulley can be moved independently ofthe others when desired. The cones D are each connected by flexiblecoils of wire M to terminals N on a board P,

placed aboye the jars A, and from which board brackets Q extend upwardto carry the overhead shaft G.

To prevent confusion in the drawings, conductors R are shown as beingled only from the terminals N of the four jars A at the lefthand side ofFig. 1 to four groups of switches or blocks S for contact-plugs, eachgroup of which may be supposed to control three lights of diiferentcolors, for example. It is to be understood that the other jars A may besimilarly connected to other switches or plug blocks and that there maybe only two or any number of pairs of jars.

IVater or other suitable feebly-conducting liquid, such as a solution ofa salt of the same metal as that of which the cups B and cones D aremade, is put in each jar A, so that its upper surface is at a suitableheight above the cups. The liquid in the series of jars A may be made tohave the same level in all of them or in any portion of them by means ofpipes T, with stop-cocks U, connecting their bottoms, and in connectionwith such pipes T there may be fitted glass gage-tubes V to show theheight of the liquid in the jars.

TVhen the cones D are all entirely above the liquid, as shown, all thecircuits are broken. On turning the shaft G by the worm and worm-wheel Lor on moving any one of the pulleys F by its actuating-handle K, all ashereinbefore described, so as to lower the cone or cones D on one side,the point of each cone being lowered first makes contact with theliquid, (without sparking,) and the resistance of the liquid graduallydiminishes as the cone descends until it makes complete contact with itscup B. If any cone D is stopped short of its cup B, the electric currentwill experience resistance corresponding to the depth of liquid stillbetween it and the cup.

By the hereinbefore-described arrangement of resistance and contactapparatus and combination of switches any desired combination of coloredand uneolored lights for scenic effects in a theater may be easily andexpeditiously effected.

A single pair of jars A, such as shown in Fig. 2, may be used in somecases for in effect switching a current from a main con" ductor O ontoone or other of two other conductors. direction one cone D is raised andthe other lowered, and as either cone descends or rises through theliquid the strength of the current passing is altered very gradually.

WVhat I claim as my invention is 1. 1n electric contact and resistanceappa ratus, combining two jars partly filled with a resistance liquid,and having at the bottom metal cups connected to a main conductor, withtwo cones, one in each jar, suspended from opposite sides of a pulleythe turning of which raises one cone and lowers the other, the conesbeing connected by wire coils to separate conductors, substantially asand for the purposes herein set forth.

2. The combination comprising two or more pairs of jars, each jar beingpartly filled with a resistance liquid and having at the bottom a metalcup connected to a main conductor, also, a horizontal shaft extendingabove the As the pulley F is turned in either jars and along midwaybetween the individual jars of the several pairs, the said shaft havingon it pulleys, one for each pair of jars, also suspended from each sideof each pulley a metalcone which by the turning of the pulley descendsor rises in each jar, the cones being connected to separate conductors,also, a handle fitted to each pulley with means for fixing and looseningthe pulley on the shaft, and also means for turning the shaft andthereby simultaneously turning all the pulleys on the shaft or as manyas are fixed thereon, all substantially as and for the purposes hereinset forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY LYON.

Witn esses:

EDMUND HUNT, GEORGE PATTERSON.

